Ito ang aking lahok para sa Litratong Pinoy ngayong Huwebes na may temang PROTEKSYON.
Ang World Youth Day 2009 rosary na ito ay regalo ng isa sa aming matalik na kaibigan. Pinili namin itong isabit sa rearview mirror ng aming sasakyan upang maging gabay at proteksyon namin saan man kami mag-byahe.
In some areas of Australia, winter time is from June to August. And in those months, some parts of the country is blessed (to others it may seem as a curse hehe) with snow. So, it is only at this time of the year that people get to flock winter wonderlands to make snowmans, snow angels and ski to on snowy mountains. And when you say snowmans, it can only mean one thing--Christmas! Hence, some of us in the land down under greet each other "Merry Christmas in July!!" at this time of the year.
This winter season, instead of going to the Snowy Mountains like we did last year, the Husband and I decided to stay in snow-less Sydney and hibernate for most part of June--we just stayed home most weekends and rested after a hectic Autumn season.
This month, we finally went out and for the first time celebrated Christmas in July on 19 July 2009, a day before our 30th wedding monthsary.
We celebrated by having breakfast at the Aroma Festival at the Rocks...
and by watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at IMAX in Darling Harbour.
The Husband and I were very excited to watch this movie. We are a fan of this movie franchise!!! We've missed seeing an HP movie together coz when HP 4 and 5 came out in cinemas, he was still in Dubai then. So now that we are together, we decided to watch it in IMAX too because we both haven't seen any films via IMAX here in Sydney.
We arrived in Darling Harbour at 11:15am and there was already a long queue towards the entrance of the cinema. When we bought the tickets a week prior to showing of the movie, the ticket person instructed us to be in IMAX at least an hour before show time in order to get good seats (no reserved seating kasi). Buti na lang din bumili na kami ng tickets beforehand because when we got there, sold out na lahat ng tickets for the whole day.
So we waited for like 40 minutes before we entered the cinema and true enough, it was jampacked.
Only the first 10 minutes of the film was in 3D, then the rest was in 2D. Nevertheless, we loved the film and to see it in a big screen was a bonus. It is the funniest and most romantic Harry Potter movie to-date. It made me look forward to the upcoming two HP movies.
After the film, we were both famished because we missed lunch (only had popcorn while we watched) so we decided to buy fish 'n chips and hung out by the harbour while we ate our late lunch.
So there goes our Happy Christmas and pre-30th monthsary date this July.
In other news, feeling Christmas talaga ang aming July because of so many blessings this month:
(1) The 60th birthday of my dearest mommy which was celebrated with my in-laws and our friends.
(2) Birthday celebrations here in Aussieland: my aunt and cousin celebrated their special day.
(3) Parties with friends: Kolokoys Party on the first week of July and Wii Lunch Party with our other couple friends on the 2nd week where we discovered the amusing Wii Samba de Amigo game.
(4) Other than Harry Potter, we also watched Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen this month :)
(5) Christmas in July won't be complete without gifts right? Here in also Australia, we have we what we call EOFYS or End of Financial Year Sale wherein stores nationwide mark down their prices in order to get rid of old/current stocks. Discount prices go up to 70%-80%. This is one of the best times to shop in Aussieland.
Two weeks ago, we found out that the Wii Fit is being sold for only AUD99.00. Since I've been wanting to own one for the longest time, but delaying it, hoping that maybe one day it will go on sale--well, it finally did :) So voila, we now have our very own Wii Fit :).
We can always feel like Christmas in our hearts but setting a day or month to honor and celebrate Christmas in the middle of the year is such a wonderful experience too. Celebrating Christmas in July gave us that warm fuzzy feeling in the middle of winter season which surely gave us a lot of excitement even if we didn't have to go somewhere far.
Now isn't it wonderful to have two CHRIStmases in one year????
Found this bag at Sportsgirl, an Australian clothes and accessories shop. It's called a Candy Chain Bag and I love it because it can worn in two different ways.
It can be worn as a shoulder bag.
And it can also be worn as a sling bag.
The bag is versatile--can be used from semi-formal to casual events; and has a lot of room inside for a wallet, point and shoot camera, mobile phone and some toiletries.
This is definitely my favorite bag at the moment.
After the communion in Sunday mass today, our parish priest announced that today is Marriage Sunday, a day of honoring Husbands and Wives married via the Sacrament of Matrimony. He called on a couple who is celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, offered a special prayer for them and blessed them.
I have always considered witnessing a couple say "I do" infront of God such a beautiful miracle, but seeing a couple who had been thru 25 years together and still look very happy is one extraordinary miracle.
When the mass was over, we had a moment to chitchat with our friend, Sister Clare, a nun who is also a part of the parish's ministry whom we met during the World Youth Day in Sydney last year. For a short time, we were able to exchange stories of what's happening in our respective lives and even acknowledged that it has been a year since WYD. How time flies.
Part of our update with Sister Clare was our story of "playing house, playing husband and wife for real" coz at the time we met, we told her we were looking for a place to stay. Since we touched on the subject of marriage, Sister Clare mentioned that she thought that since today is "Marriage Sunday", the parish priest would ask all the married couples to stand up and be blessed. She reckon the parish priest changed his mind since there was also a baby that needed to be blessed (pre-christening rites).
Surprisingly, before we all said goodbye, Sister Clare held our (Chris and I's) hands in her hands and said a short prayer for us. I didn't realized it at first, but when she said "I hope God bless you more each day that you are together...", I knew right there and then that she was blessing us due to today being Marriage Sunday. It was such an amazing moment. Chris and I walked out of the church feeling at peace and blessed more than ever. The prayer and blessing that Sister Clare gave us this morning is one surprise gift we will always treasure.
Ito ang aking lahok para sa Litratong Pinoy ngayong Huwebes na may temang NAKAKAKILABOT.
Minsan ko lang makita na nabuka ang bibig ng crocodile sa Featherdale Wildlife Park at nang makita ko ito, ako ay namangha...
at kinilabutan!!!! 
Nakakatakot nang mapag-masdan ko ang laki ng bunganga nya at nang malalaki nyang pangil. Nakakakilabot di ba?
Kayo, anong mga bagay ang nakakabigay kilabot sa inyo?
This is one of my favorite spaces in our home. We call it "our coffee nook".On weekend mornings, my Husband and I love to hang out here while we sip our morning coffee.
Some afternoons, we'd sit beside each other, watch the sunset and talk of everything under the sun. We'd sip our favorite wine and munch on cheese or sometimes we'd be eating pancit canton..any food that we might be craving for for afternoon tea.
At night time, my Husband never fails to come out here for a few minutes of silence. Sometimes I'd join him and we'd watch the world pass us by and say a word of thanks for the day that was.
What I love best about this space is that it has been instrumental to witnessing beautiful sunsets that seem to welcome me to my home when I arrive in the afternoons or surprise us with moonlight over our heads before we sleep.
This entry is in celebration of Caryn's birthday. Happy birthday Caryn!!! It was a pleasure to have you as one of my buddies in the blogosphere. :)
The Aroma Festival 2009 on 19 July 2009 is one my favorite festivals in Sydney solely because it is for coffee, tea and spice lovers.
I've missed this event for the past two years and this year, I just had to witness the unfolding of this festival even for only just a quick visit.
The festival was held at the Rocks in Circular Quay where you can also conveniently find two of Australia's famous landmarks: The Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. On a winter's day, we were lucky to have a glorious sunny weather on Sunday, made hanging out in the city a more hassle-free experience.
As soon as we arrived at The Rocks at 9:30am, we were greeted with numerous stalls that opened early. According to the website, the festival is only from 10am-5pm. But since the Husband and I had another engagement to attend to by lunchtime, we decided to leave home early and just have breakfast at The Rocks.
All the stalls were classified in four regions: The Continent, The Latin Quarter, The Oasis and The Orient.
The Rocks prepaped a map (see my photo on the upper left, that's me holding a map on my left hand) so one can easily find their favorite stall/s.
The place was abuzzed with lots of people already by 10am. Each stall had several onlookers and people are lining up a queue to order what-have-yous from their stall of preference.
As for me, my first stop was at a stall that offers Barista Classes. Some of you may not know it, but one of my dreams is to learn more about coffee. Since last year, I've been wanting to enrol in a Coffee School and learn how to make coffee the "Barista way". Like any other dreams, I'm still waiting for the right moment to pursue this and of course, buy my dream coffee machine. For now, I'm happy learning thru websites and making inquiries with a couple of coffee schools.
Most of the coffee schools at the festival offered good discounts on their classes, books and DVDs. So if you're interested to enrol in one of their classes and buy their books/DVD, be ready to pay right there and then in order to avail of the discounts.
Before we left the festival, I decided to buy CoffeeSchool's Coffee Art Book and DVD for only AUD$20.00. I've already read thru the book and it's user-friendly and the instructions are easy to follow. I've yet to watch the DVD. I plan to see it this coming weekend.
After a few minutes of wandering around, following our senses--smelling aromas here and there, we finally decided that we should have breakfast.
And this was breakfast!
Yummy little pancakes with chocolate syrup and strawberries and cream we bought from the Dutch Poffertjes stall.
All the yummy little pancakes were fresh from the pan. Nothing spectacular with the chocolate syrup (just the normal ones we can get from the supermarket) but the fresh strawberries and cream on top made a big difference to the whole ensemble. Since the little pancakes were bite-sized, it was easy to eat them while we wandered around.
Now that we've got breakfast on our hands (literally!), the quest for coffee began. We found ourselves at the Grinders Coffee Square and availed of Grinders Coffee's AUD$2.00 coffee.
I ordered my favorite Long Black coffee (a.k.a. as Cafe Americano) while the Husband indulged himself with a Latte. Loved the smell and taste of their coffee. I learned that Grinders Coffee started being popular in Melbourne (the coffee capital of Australia) and is now gaining the thumbs up all over Australia.
With every coffee purchase, you get to try their bite-sized biscuits. The Husband and I came back twice for their biscuits. Went deliciously well with their coffee.
With breakfast done and coffee in our hand, we decided to walk back to the train station as we needed to be on our way to our next agenda. However, another coffee stall caught my eye.
I made a quick dash to Mokador's stall and ordered a cup of Capuccino. It was one of the richest coffee I've tasted. I love it.
And yes, that's how I ended our short but sweet rendezvous at The Aroma Festival 2009: with a cup of coffee in each hand! :) I'm such a coffee fiend, I know...and I love it. I'm passionate about my coffee and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Hot tips:
1. Be early. The Aroma Festival in Sydney only happens once a year from 10am-5pm. We were there at 9:30am and there were lots of people already. When we left at around 11am, it was hard to explore the place, less room for walking...and the queue in every stall is doubling up by the minute.
2. Check The Rocks website to know what's instore for you when you get there. The website also had a list of participating stalls and their respective promos/discounts for the day.
3. Take public transport if it will seem more convenient for you. There are road closures during festivals in the city and parking may be a problem as well.
4. Be ready for the possible big crowd--and all other concerns related to it. My only wish last Sunday was that hopefully next time, they'd make this a 3-day event, or even a 2-day event. Since it was only a 1-day festival, of course, everyone will come flocking in just to witness the event. It was hard to appreciate every stall and its products when all you can see are people swarming around it.
5. Enjoy the great discounts. Coffee is only AUD$2.00/cup. Lots of discounts from every stall for their products like coffee, coffee machines, tea, etc.
All photos (except for the 11th and 12th photo) in this article are taken by Chris Sanchez.
On the last Friday of the Vivid Sydney Festival (12 June 2009), the Husband and I witnessed Sydney come alive with spectacular colours. We specifically watched the LUMINOUS event that featured the Lighting of the Sails.
Vivid Sydney, developed by Events NSW in partnership with the City Of Sydney, was the biggest international music and light festival in the Southern Hemisphere.
It showcased the city as a major creative hub in the Asia-Pacific region, celebrating the diversity of Sydney's creative industries.
Vivid Sydney featured four exciting events:
- Luminous
- Smart Light Sydney
- Creative Sydney
- Fire Water
The Vivid Sydney festival from 26 May-14 June 2009 created irresistible stories through light and sound and brave new ideas; stories that inspire and entertain people, stories which combine to become a unique and powerful expression of 'Creative Sydney'.
This unique new public festival transformed the city into a spectacular living canvas of music and light in and around the Sydney Opera House, The Rocks, Circular Quay and the city centre.
Visit http://vividsydney.com if you want to know more about this festival.
One of the things we like to do during night shoots is to play with shutter. This time we had fun capturing moving ferries in Circular Quay during the Vivid Sydney Festival in slow shutter.
For more photos, kindly check my photo albums below:
Album 1: Playing with Shutter During Vivid Sydney Festival
Album 2: Vivid Sydney Festival
All photos by Chris and Ivy Sanchez, Copyright 2009.
The Sydney Fish Market is a seafood lover's haven. Sydneysiders and tourists flock this place to have a taste of Australia's freshest seafood produce.
Located at the entrance of the Fish Market, a neat-looking restaurant called Deep Seafood and Oyster Bar will welcome you. It offers a wide array of cooked (for those who want to dine in) and uncooked (for those wanting to buy a bargain) seafood.
My Husband and I like the ambience of the restaurant because it is clean and there's no foul odor from fish, etc. even if you're eating in the midst of uncooked seafood. The place is well-lighted and there are two big wide screen TVs for entertainment. Customers can also dine al fresco as tables and chairs are placed outside the resto.
Now let's start with the food, shall we?
Australia's known for Fish 'n Chips because they simply are the best. It is almost always one of the food we order when we hang out in the City. Deep Seafood and Oyster Bar has one of the cheapest Fish n' Chips for only AUD$7.50. Just one of these deep-fried Barramundi Fish is enough to satisfy one's appetite, not to mention the abundance of Chips (a.k.a. fries) on the side. It comes with a delicious small pack of Tartare sauce to serve as dip for the fish.
The main reason why I love dining at the Fish Market is because I love lobsters!!!! And it's here at Deep Seafood, you can buy cooked lobster for only AUD$19.00. Twice, I have ordered Deep Seafood's very succulently cheesy Lobster Mornay, oozing with buttery juice. I love it especially that it has a siding of salad and chips. Very filling and satisfying.
Oysters at Deep Seafood are abundant as well. I tried their Oysters Kilpatrick for only AUD$2.50/piece. Seeing the photo below, you can say that it's bacon overload!!! Yes, those are bacon on top of the oysters. Lovely to look at, but sinfully delicious. Rawr!
My seafood pig-out will never be complete without the Scallops, so I also ordered two pieces of Scallops Mornay (AUD$3.00/piece).
They also offer rice, so yay!!! Together with rice we ordered Salt 'n Pepper Calamari. I like eating small Calamari (most Calamaris here are big) because they're easier to chew.
Husband and I also shared a Salmon skewer, very juicy. At first bite, you can taste the freshness of the Salmon.
Deep Seafood also offers several seafood packs that you can share with a partner or the whole family. Prices of the meal packages start at AUD$12.00. If your Tartare sauce is not enough, you can buy additional packs for only AUD$1.00/piece. We usually buy two to three packs and bring it home.
There are a lot more cafes/restaurants at the Sydney Fish Market. One of these days, we'll visit again and try them too.
Have you been to any Fish Market in any part of the world? If so, what are your favorite seafood dishes?
